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Homage to Babylonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2016

Nick Mackinnon
Nick Mackinnon*
Affiliation:
Winchester College, Winchester
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Extract

This article describes some of my experiences of using the mathematics of the Old Babylonian period in my classes. It will not be a connected account of Babylonian mathematics – for that readers can turn to the excellent and easily available book The exact sciences in antiquity [1] and the article will make little sense unless you have read that book or others like it, or know a little about cuneiform mathematics already. I have got to stress that reading a book like Neugebauer's is the minimum preparation before presenting the material that this article discusses. I have neither the time nor the ability to discuss the context in which these materials should be placed. Indeed, placing these materials into their exact historical context is not really possible: even professional historians do not agree about what might seem to the amateur quite simple matters. So in this article I shall be offering readers some nice resources that I have enjoyed using with classes, I shall discuss how they might be used at various places in the curriculum, and indicate some of my faltering attempts to integrate this material into my pupils' general education.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Mathematical Gazette , Volume 76 , Issue 475 , March 1992 , pp. 158 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © The Mathematical Association 1992

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References

1. Neugebauer, O., The exact sciences in antiquity. Dover 1969, and often reprinted.Google Scholar
2. Friberg, J., “Methods and traditions of Babylonian mathematics”, Historia Mathematica 8 (1981) 277–318.Google Scholar
3. Oates, J., Babylon (revised edition). Thames and Hudson, 1986.Google Scholar
4. Walker, C.B.F., Cuneiform. British Museum Publications, 1987.Google Scholar
5. Fauvel, J., Early mathematics. Open University Press, 1987.Google Scholar
6. Neugebauer, O., Mathematische Keilschrifttexte, Quellen und Studien zur Geschichte der Mathematik, Astronomie und Physik. A3,1–II Springer 1935, and III, Springer 1937.Google Scholar
7. Neugebauer, O., and Sachs, A., Mathematical cuneiform texts. American Oriental Society and American Schools of Oriental Research. 1945.Google Scholar